The use of cyclophosphamide as an enhancer of the vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease

The immunization of biungulate animals with killed foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) requires periodic vaccinations due to a low vaccine immunogenicity. Therefore, FMDV antigens need to be combined with adjuvants such as aluminum hydroxide, saponin or oil emulsions. Animal handling for periodic inoculations, and the repeated doses of vaccines that have to be administered increase the commercialization costs. Moreover, the use of adjuvants may induce adverse effects.In the present work we show that it is possible to increase the life span of neutralizing antibodies in serum when a single dose of cyclophosphamide (Cy) is administered four days before vaccination with aluminum hydroxidesaponin FMDV vaccine.     

Pineal-related changes in cyclic AMP levels of rat medial basal hypothalamus

Summary Pinealectomy (Px) in adult male rats resulted in increased cyclic AMP accumulation by medial basal hypothalamic (MBH) explants 3 and 7 days after surgery. 24 h after superior cervical ganglionectomy (Gx) an augmented MBH cyclic AMP accumulation was observed. The effects of Px and Gx were additive, as revealed in animals subjected to Gx 3 days after Px.This study was supported by grants from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (N^o 6638) and from the Fundación Alberto J. Roemmers, Argentina.     

Nicotianamine,the ‘normalizing factor’ for the auxotroph tomato mutantChloronerva; a representative of a new class of plant effectors

Summary The article surveys our knowledge of the normalizing factor, gained from its discovery a quarter of a century ago up to the present time, under the following headings: Discovery; Physiological properties; Isolation and characterization; Structure determination (Identity of the normalizing factor with nicotianamine); Chemical properties; Analysis; Synthesis; Occurrence and physiological role; Related compounds; Prospects.     

Physiological state of submitochondrial particles and their susceptibility to Triton X-100

Summary The solubilizing effect of Triton X-100 on beef heart submitochondrial particles (ETP_H) has been studied under various physiological conditions. Coupled, uncoupled and azide-inhibited ETP_H particles have been studied. Quantitative and qualitative differences are found in the proteins solubilized by the detergent from ETP_H particles under the various conditions tested.Acknowledgments: This work was supported in part by a grant from a Spanish Comisión Asesora para la Investigación Cientifica y Técnica. M.C. Barbero was recipient of a scholarship from the Basque Government.     

Secreted oleanolic acid on the cuticleOlea europaea (Oleaceae); a chemical barrier to fungal attack

Summary The leaf of the bitter oliveOlea europaea (Oleaceae) is heavily coated by almost pure oleanolic acid, which forms part of a multichemical defense against fungal attack.We thank Mr K. A. Hoelmer for taking the electron micrographs and also Professor T. Kamikawa for NMR measurements.     

Oxygen consumption in rat skeletal muscle at various rates of oxygen delivery

Summary Resting oxygen consumption of the vascularly isolated gracilis anticus muscle of the rat perfused by natural circulation via the femoral artery with diluted or undiluted blood depends on oxygen delivery (the product of flow rate and arterial oxygen concentration-DO₂) only when DO₂ falls below 16 l/min/g.     

Increased susceptibility ofTrypanosoma lewisi infected,or decomplemented rats toSalmonella typhimurium

Summary Rats infected withTrypanosoma lewisi or decomplemented by injection of cobra venom factor or complement activating factor of trypanosomes were found to be more susceptible to infection withSalmonella typhimurium. Decomplemented rats subsequently infected withT. lewisi developed higher blood parasitemia than did normalT. lewisi infected rats.This project is supported by the National Research Council of Canada grant A 0068 and a grant from the International Development Research Center.     

Reciprocal changes in serum free thyroxine fraction and thyrotropin level after administration of thiocyanate to rats

Summary The administration of thiocyanate to rats caused a significant increase of serum free thyroxine fraction, which coincided with the significant decrease of TSH level. The other components (AFT₄, T₄, T₃) in serum at this time were decreased or unchanged. The finding suggests the role of free thyroxine fraction in feed-back regulation of TSH secretion.Acknowledgment. We thank Dr A. Parlow and the NIAMDD, Rat Pituitary Hormone Distribution Program, for material for rat TSH immunoassay; Dr J. Nauman (Inst. Postgrad. Med., Warsaw, Poland) for T₃ antibody, and to Ing. J. Sadlo, Mrs M. t'astná and Miss R Fajkoová for technical assistance.